Why is novem the Latin prefix for English word November?

The Latin prefix "novem" means "nine" and is indeed the root of the English word "November". It might seem confusing since November is the eleventh month, but here's why:

* The Roman Calendar: The original Roman calendar had only 10 months, starting with March (hence, "Martius").

* November's Original Position: November was the ninth month in this original calendar.

* Calendar Reform: Later, Julius Caesar reformed the calendar, adding January and February at the beginning. This pushed November to its current position as the eleventh month.

However, the name "November" remained rooted in its original position as the ninth month, hence the "novem" prefix.